Recently, the entries for the writing contest “The Magic of Childhood” surprised the judging panel with the young authors’ linguistic flair and pure, heartfelt expression. Through vivid imagination and innocent emotions, the students crafted colorful fairytale worlds. Remarkably, all of these works were created by primary school students—many of them in Grade 2. From short stories, personal essays, and poetry to comic strips, each entry was a “sweet fruit” born from the students’ journey of self-learning and creative exploration.
“The Magic of Childhood” is not only a playground to ignite students’ linguistic abilities and creative thinking, but also a heartfelt space where they express dreams, hopes, and belief in the good things in life. The young writers showcased surprising imagination, literary sensitivity, and language thinking at such a young age. Each page they wrote reflects their love and appreciation for their mother tongue.
“Each piece felt like a ticket that transported us to different stations of childhood. Even with the same story—like accidentally swallowing an orange seed—every child had their own unique way of telling it. Whether it’s the fear of the ‘Boogeyman’, the belief in the Tooth Fairy, or Santa Claus, these are emotions that are truly childlike. They grow up, yet they don’t lose faith in life’s magic. Some even discovered that the Tooth Fairy was actually their mom—and rather than being disillusioned, they felt even happier. The works vividly reflected the spiritual and cultural life of each family, reinforcing our belief in the crucial role families play in nurturing children’s souls and emotional foundations,” shared Ms. Nguyễn Thị Thanh Hải, Director of the Social Sciences and Humanities Program and a member of the Dewey Academic and Pedagogical Council, as well as a judge of the contest.
These entries are also the tangible fruits of the students’ Vietnamese Literature journey, clearly embodying The Dewey Schools’ commitment to experiential education. After each literature lesson, students consolidate their learning through a variety of creative formats—writing letters to authors, reimagining endings, or adapting stories into different forms. Especially noteworthy is that each student begins keeping a Creative Writing Notebook from Grade 1, where they collect inspiring poems and begin drafting their own stories, verses, and rhymes. To foster their love for literature, the school regularly celebrates and awards the most outstanding notebooks.
“Studying literature should not be about rigidly copying model essays or chasing elaborate literary techniques—it should begin with honest, simple emotions from daily life. At Dewey, even first graders are equipped with the ‘root’ of literature—empathy. They learn to listen to their own emotions and appreciate the beauty of literary works through compassion, before moving on to create characters and develop narrative structure in their own stories,” Ms. Thanh Hải added.
To truly experience the rich inner world and imaginative power of our young TDSers, we invite parents to embark on a magical fairytale journey through the works showcased here!
